autumn

== English == === Alternative forms === autum (obsolete) === Etymology === Inherited from Middle English autumpne, from Middle French automne, from Old French automne, autonne, from Latin autumnus. Some of the verbal senses are from Latin autumnāre. === Pronunciation === enPR: ôʹtəm (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɔːtəm/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔtəm/, [ˈɔɾɪ̈m], [ˈɔɾm̩] (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈɑtəm/, [ˈɑɾɪ̈m], [ˈɑɾm̩] Rhymes: -ɔːtəm Hyphenation: au‧tumn === Noun === autumn (countable and uncountable, plural autumns) Traditionally the third of the four seasons, when deciduous trees lose their leaves, and temperatures and daylight hours decrease; typically regarded as spanning the months of September, October, and November in the Northern Hemisphere, and the months of March, April and May in the Southern Hemisphere. Synonyms: (North America) fall, (UK dialect) harvest, (UK dialect) back end (by extension) The time period when someone or something is past its prime. Synonym: decline (fashion) A person with relatively dark hair and a warm skin tone, seen as best suited to certain colours in clothing. ==== Usage notes ==== Note that season names are not capitalized in modern English except where any noun would be capitalized, e.g. at the beginning of a sentence or as part of a name (Old Man Winter, the Winter War, Summer Glau). This is in contrast to the days of the week and months of the year, which are always capitalized (Thursday or September). Outside of North America, autumn is generally the only name for the season. In the United States and Canada, both autumn and fall are used, the former being perhaps felt as the more formal term and the latter as the more colloquial or everyday term. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === autumn (third-person singular simple present autumns, present participle autumning, simple past and past participle autumned) (intransitive) To spend the autumn (in a particular place). (ambitransitive) To (cause to) undergo the changes associated with autumn, such as leaves changing color and falling from trees. === See also === Indian summer === References ===